Woven Threads
by Adrienne Channing
Summary: The threads of fate are fragile in their frame. A tale of lost hopes, betrayal, pain, and a love soon gained. KagSess.
1. Prologue

Woven Threads

By Weaver Goddess

Prologue

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It is often said that Mother Nature can sense a change in the fabric of fate far before humans or even demons can. No one ever realizes how true this is. The smallest thread plucked or woven astray can lead the entire pattern asunder, causing drastic shifts in the universe, as we know it.

She oft times tries to warn us with her mighty power, but it is of little use. Most do not take the time to try to recognize this, never realizing the signs until it is too late. Cities have been destroyed, thousands killed all because of ignorance of the ever shifting patterns that govern our lives.

Many such stories exist throughout history, but few ever create drastic effects felt around the webs of all consciousnesses that have ever existed. There is one tale, one that has never been told before, and never spoken again of a single thread, plucked from it's resting point by an unconscious mind and unseen by the gentle hands that govern us all, left to forage it's own fate for itself. Sit my children, we have a long road ahead of us to spin as we untangle this little thread's story from the others and watch her live, and love, and grow to a glorious stitch that binds us all together…


	2. Cut

Woven Threads By MoonlightGoddess 

Chapter 1- Cut

Cruel white-hot lightning arched across the sky as the wind howled like a wild thing through the trees. The rain fell in icy-cold sheets, soaking every living thing to the bone. Feet pounded through the night as a black shadow darted from tree to tree. The figure half-turned as the howl of a wolf sounded throughout the wild. Frightened blue-gray eyes illuminated by lightning widened as they watched shadows crawl closer and closer.

She rounded past the trees, jumping over a stray root that jutted from the muddy soil. Her breath came harsher and harsher to her throat, fear clawing its way up her breast, trying to press her into strangulation. She sobbed once, her crystal tears flying from her face lost in the rain as she ran. Fly! Fly! Fly! the night screamed at her, as she tore on, skidding and slipping as she went. The soft blue glow of her miko powers briefly lit up the trees as she dashed past, seeming to fly on shadowed wings.

Minutes passed, hours, who knew anymore? She raced on, faster, faster! She must go faster! They were almost upon her, her once-friends-no-more. She stumbled over a rock, the sharp motion startling a cry from the bundle in her arms. Soft blue-green eyes peered out of the blankets, into her own, trusting, yet afraid.

"Mama," he whimpered uncertainly, "Where are we? What's wrong? Why did we leave?" She glanced down into her adopted child's face. They were good questions, questions that must soon be faced, but not now. No! Not now! She had to find safety! She must fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!

There! A cave round the edge of the cliff they were nearing. It was a slim chance, but one that must be taken. She reeled her head around once more to check for the followers. They were close now, clawing at the ends of the cloak wrapped around her body, pulling at her heels. They were almost into the cave now. She put on a burst of speed, a last hope for safety.

She pulled out of the grasp of the hunters and rushed into the cave, muttering a spell of sealing as she went. The cave's entrance blazed with holy light as the pursuers were thrown back, dashed against the trees, howling in despair. She staggered in the cave slowing, letting the precious bundle in her arms fall to the soft, soft ground. A black battered katana clattered to the floor. She hit her knees, her eyes closing, and knew no more.


	3. Awakening

Woven Threads

By Moonlight Goddess

Chapter 2- Awakening

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The smell of wet wood smoke roused the ocean-eyed girl the next morning. She blinked slowly, stretching her arms up to her face. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. In the confusion and rush of the previous night, she had not even thought as to the state of the cave. She had no idea if it was even occupied or not, her only comfort, albeit small, was the feeling of safety that washed over her.

She scanned the cave, checking every nook and cranny for something crucial she may have overlooked. A breeze sounded faintly through the cave, smelling softly of the forest trees and flowers. This worried her. It meant that somewhere was an opening to the outside, where danger may be able to worm and slither it's way through. She shuddered at the thought.

All at once, she noticed missing her small bundle of belongings, precious memories that she cherished, reminders of better days gone by. Along with them was the absence of her son and the…Oh! The katana! She had to find it! She leapt to her feet, terror clawing its way once again up her throat. She dashed towards the smell of smoke, her footsteps echoing throughout the cave's expanse.

She stopped all at once, her chest heaving from exertion. There sat her son, fast asleep by the embers of a small fire, her belongings lying next to him and the katana clutched in his little hands. Her face softened as she gazed upon her kit, motherly tenderness welling up within her breast. He must have crawled to the back of the cave while she was unconscious, found wood somewhere, and started a fire.

Hands rose to brush her tangled and matted hair back from her face as she approached the child. She bent down, loosed the sword from his hold, and softly gathered him up, kissing his forehead as she did so. He murmured in his sleep, snuggling closer to her in affection. He was her last tie to the past, the only real thing keeping her there. She loved him like the mother he had lost so long ago. Five years, was it? He was such a brave boy, all on his own until he had found them…her. Her. She shook her head rapidly, not wanting to ponder on things best left alone. He stirred as she pulled herself from her thoughts and opened one bleary eye.

"Mama?" he croaked, his tiny voice echoing softly, reminding her of tiny chiming bells. She smiled down at him and kissed his cheeks. He gave her a little smile of his own before yawning widely, showing fangs. He snuggled even closer to her, curling up before falling into a restful slumber. She sighed, wishing she could join him. However, there were too many things to be thought over. What to do? Where to go? How would they survive? This all needed accounting for.

Noticing a small pile of brush by the fire, she placed some more on the dying flame. She sat down close by and placed her little darling upon a bundle of clothes she had managed to salvage with the rest. This was all she had. There was nothing else left. Why? Why did they betray her? Why? Why? She laid her face upon her hands and wept, the numbness she had been feeling wearing off for the first time. Images flashed through her mind, smiling faces, good times, romantic feelings, all lost now. They were replaced by leers, blood, pain, screams, and death surrounded by mocking cold laughter.

She let the tears flow freely, a testament to those that had been mercilessly slaughtered. It was a promise of revenge and justice to their murderers. She raised her head up, her mind clear for the first time in hours. She did not know where to go, or what to do, but something had to be done. This could not go unavenged. Her family, her friends from school, her home, her time, they were all gone, lost to her forever. She was the only one left.

Standing, and brushing off her cloak, she then knelt by the fire, and after adding a few more twigs, began to shift through her belongings. A knife, it's blade gleaming bright, a sharpener hanging by a piece of rope through a carved hole in the handle, an extra pair of pants and a shirt, one change of underwear, a toothbrush, one roll of bandages, a can of disinfectant spray and a flashlight. Two bars of chocolate…she glanced at her son, amused. He must have snuck them in there. The katana, a pen, a pad of blank paper with one sheet used for notes, and a package of… her eyes hardened. She flung the little package into the fire and watched it burn, anger flaring in her eyes. It was a reminder of the past that she did not want. She picked up her son, slipping the flashlight into her pocket, and turned sharply, not wanting to see any more of the small package. She walked quickly and carefully to the source of the breeze she had noticed some time ago.

It took her a while to locate the source, but as it turned out, she had nothing to worry about. It was a small skylight that overlooked the forest, impossible for the enemies to get to and a possible escape route should something go wrong. This relieved her. Her small joy increased when she spied a small stream by the back of the cave, a source of fresh water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. It babbled over the dark rocks, emerald moss carpeting the bottom. A fine discovery! She kneeled down next to the edge to see if it was clean. The water looked fresh and pure, glistening in the light from the outside. She drank deeply from it, gasping slightly as the cold made her teeth ache.

Stripping of her cloak, socks, and shoes, now only clad in shorts and a t-shirt, she stepped into the crystal clear liquid, groaning softly as the rocks on the bottom massaged her aching feet. She sat upon a smooth rounded boulder jutting from the stream and let the water wash away the dirt and blood upon her skin. She hissed slightly as she felt the soothing water push on the deeper cuts on her legs from her frantic flight the previous night. They didn't look too bad; they would heal within a couple of weeks.

She looked over at the dry ground on the bank, where her son lay still snoozing. Pushing herself off the rock, wincing as gravel pressed into her wounds, she waded to the edge and picked up the little fox. She held him for a moment, tightly, until he began to squirm. He shook his head slightly, crankily looking up into her face. "Mama…" he whined, wanting to sleep more. She shook her head, rocking him back and forth. When he protested, she spoke.

"No Shippou, you're filthy! No more sleeping until we get you bathed and fed…" she trailed off. What was there to eat? She would have to go outside and look. Oh well, she doubted that the hunters would pursue her in broad daylight. Smiling, mischievously, she stripped him of his clothes and dunked him under the water. He came up sputtering and gasping, his cheeks rosy from the cold.

"Kagome!" he protested, "that wasn't fair!" She grinned, her first real grin in days, and laughed as he glared at her, his teeth chattering. Sitting him down on her lap in the stream, not caring that she was clothed, she rubbed his arms and legs vigorously to rid him of any clinging dirt. When she pronounced him clean enough, he bounced up and down on her lap until she placed him on the shore. He scowled at her, his hair and tail making him look like a bedraggled cat. He shook himself like a wet dog, flinging water everywhere and puffing out his hair and tail. She laughed even harder as her tried to stalk off indignantly like he had seen Inuyasha do so many times… Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was the cause of all this! The one to lead everyone astray! She frowned and brought her knees up to rest below her chin, musing on what had happened. Shippou gazed at the girl, not quite comprehending what was wrong. He only knew that Kagome-Mama had woken him last night, panicked and afraid. He had helped grab what they could and jumped in her arms as she began to run. He didn't know where Sango and Miroku or Inuyasha were, only that they weren't going to be traveling with them anymore. Kagome had said so last night. He had drifted off to sleep then, not really awakening until Kagome had dropped him to the floor when she collapsed.

He remembered seeing shapes his mama's barrier, seconds after she had put it up. When he turned to see if Kagome was all right, she was lying on the floor, unconscious. He had tried to move her, but she was too heavy for him to even budge. So he had used his foxfire to light the cave a little as he walked on, trying to find something to start a fire. He had walked a ways, when suddenly he had found a small pile of wood of all different sizes, tinder and twigs to logs. He had used what little was left of his magic to start a blaze, before dashing back to Kagome.

She was lying where he had left her, still asleep. He covered her up as best as he could before picking up the scattered things on the ground and moving to take them to the fire. As he had gone to run back to the fire, a glittering black thing caught his attention. It was a katana, glistening in the shadow from the miko light. He cautiously approached it, sniffing it, ready to run at any provocation. He stopped and jumped back, his eyes wide. What was Kagome-Mama doing with Tetsusaiga? Wasn't that Inuyasha's? He was going to be so angry with Kagome! He carefully picked it up, almost dropping it when nothing happened. It lay docile in its sheath, light winking up innocently at him. He held it out from him as he journeyed back to the fire.

The fire was starting to go down when he reached it, so he carefully kicked some of the larger branches onto the fire, hoping it wouldn't go out. It didn't. The wood caught fire and grew again, dancing up into the night. He placed the stuff he was carrying with him beside his and sat down, clutching Tetsusaiga tightly, watching the reds, yellows, oranges, and blues cast shadows upon the rocky wall, like a grotesque puppet show. It frightened him, but it then clamed him, lulling him to sleep. The last thing he remembered was yawning as his eyes closed, gazing at the colorful ballet of warmth and power going on before him. He then closed his eyes and drifted off into deep dreams filled with childish joys.

Shippou trudged back to the fire with his clothes in his arms, dragging his tail behind him. He was silent, musing on the happenings of last night. What had caused Kagome-Mama to leave the group? What happened that night? He didn't know, and it worried him. He may have been small and cowardly, but knew a lot more than everyone thought he did. Everyone, except Kagome. Oftentimes when things would happen, like him fighting with Inuyasha, he would catch her looking at him from the corner of her eye. Somehow she knew that he wasn't really as foolish as he made himself out to be. That's why he loved her like he loved his other mama who had passed on…

Shadows started to race across the cave floor where Kagome still sat in the brook. Evening was nearing now, and the hunters may return. She didn't know, and right now she didn't care. Fat tears crept down her cheeks and splashed into the running water, whisked away into a deeper pool not too far away. Shippou would be missing her soon, returning would probably be the best option. Standing and wading to the bank, she stepped out and picked up her discarded belongings, her raven tresses gleaming in the fading light. She walked back to the fire, using the flashlight when necessary. When she turned the corner, an amusing sight greeted her eyes. Her son was clinging to a low hanging stalactite, terrified of a small snake below. Giggling, she walked over and pulled him down. When he whimpered and tried to clamber down, she smiled and pointed to the little snake.

"See Shippou?" she whispered, not wanting to alarm the little creature, "he's as afraid as you are. He's harmless as well. Shall we let him go back to his family?" He nodded, clinging to the edge of her pants as she walked towards the entrance. She pulled down the miko shields and placed the snake on the grass. It immediately took off, shooting into the denser grass beyond. She watched it go, a soft smile upon her face. It was then she noticed the heap. The remainder of her belongings lay near the trees, slashed into ribbons until they were nearly unrecognizable. She approached them cautiously, not knowing what to think. Suddenly she gasped in horror, a deer's severed head was on top of the pile, its eyes milky with death. The blood stained everything, pooling on the ground, where the rest of the body was. Bile rose up in her throat as she gazed upon the grotesque sight. It was clearly a warning for her to stop running, to give into her fate. The world spun and mocking laughter seemed to echo in the trees.

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Wow! Another chapter done! Do you all like it? I'd like to thank my reviewers!

**Khelsea**: I'm glad you think it's okay, I don't know if your password, but I believe that if you go to the login page, you can type in your e-mail and they can mail you your password just in case. This happened to me once; I hadn't logged in for a while and forgot slightly how to spell my password. I really hope this helps!

**Raven the Shikon-Hawk**: It makes me so happy to know that you think I'm an excellent writer! Thank you so much! I know the chapters are short; I did it that way on purpose. Is this chapter more to your liking? I tried to make it longer.

**Stranger in the Dark**: That was most likely the kindest thing anyone has ever told me! A poem…wow. I wish my Language Arts teacher could hear you say that! She's convinced I don't know how to write past the third grade level. I don't know why. Thank you…thank you so much! You are an inspiration to me!

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Okay everyone, that's all for now! I should have the next part out soon!- Weaver Goddess 


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